I read this the other morning and thought it was delightful, insightful, and repostable! Enjoy Georgiann and her writings at https://gigisrantsandraves.wordpress.com/.
“Why didn’t you stay in Wonderland?” he asked, hands in pockets, as he walked along next to her. “I think I would have stayed.”
“If you found Wonderland, it would have been a completely different experience,” said Alice. “It would have been a Wonderland tailored just for you. It’s that way with everything, especially in out-of-the-way-places.”
“You mean places no one is supposed to know about?”
“I think certain people are supposed to know about those places, either by design or, accident. It’s their destiny.”
“Tell me again. What was it like?”
“It seems tighter,” she said, pressing her arms against her sides, Closer. The sky felt lower. It’s definitely lusher. Sizes don’t always make sense. Plants and animals can speak. The colors are deeper and alive. There is danger and beauty. There are people who might be considered a bit off, by our standers. It’s more colorful, but the Queen…well, she’s a bit of a…”
“Problem,” he asked?
“She was unhappy. Once I realized that, we chatted over tea, and she felt a lot better. It’s not that she didn’t want to be Queen, it’s that her husband was boring, and not at all supportive or helpful. She was hoping for the love of her life and instead, she ended up with Mr. Bland. She was angry because she never felt loved or appreciated. He never surprised her, or romanced her. He was no fun at all, so her anger turned into rage and ended up being directed at the people themselves.”
“I can understand her dilemma, but she shouldn’t have taken it on on the masses.”
“I don’t think she realized that’s what was happening. I told her to get a divorce and marry some hot young guy who liked to dance and party.”
“What did she say?”
“She hugged me and called her lawyer. I think Wonderland itself let out a huge sigh of relief. She felt trapped, was waiting for permission to move forward and get rid of the person who was breaking her heart. She wasn’t sure a Queen could do that. She baked a lot of tarts, believe me. She said it took her mind off of him and she always burned a few pretending they were him.”
“Harsh.”
“You never met him. I don’t think he would have realized he was on fire.”
“That says a lot.”
“Indeed. Now double it.”
“What about the Mad Hatter?”
“He was lovely and I don’t think he was mad as much as passionate. He loved creating hats. His passion was so large, it couldn’t be contained, and that’s why some believed him to be mad, when he was just unbelievably happy and excited.”
“Did you tell that to him?”
“I did and we danced for an hour, while he threw flowers and ribbons into the air.”
“That must have been interesting.”
“It was fun. We laughed…a lot. He also made me another hat.”
“The blue one with the pink and white feathers?”
She nodded.
“It’s my favorite.”
“Mine too.”
“Tell me about the White Rabbit.”
“One pill makes you taller and one pill makes you small…. He was kind of in charge of the drug situation in Wonderland. He’s the one who put the bottles in the foyer. The bottles I drank. I got big, then small. But I don’t really know what he gave me. He’s quite a gentleman, dresses well, uses a monocle, which I don’t think he needs, it’s more for effect. He’s polite, knows how to pour tea and he keeps in touch with everyone.”
“The Dormouse?”
“Adorable. Sleepy, but so cute. I doubt he would like to be described in that way, but it’s a true telling. I think he has magic but he’s too tired to participate in anything. I don’t know if the Rabbit is his dealer, but if he is, he needs to cut back on whatever he’s giving him. It’s possible he just eats to much cake. There is a LOT of cake at the Tea Parties. I’m not sure which it is.
As for the Tweedles. Scary twins. At least when I first saw them They looked like rubber balls with heads, stripped t-shirts and matching beanies. Not the brightest crayons in the box, that’s for sure. But once I got to know them, I liked them. They didn’t have many friends, so were a bit out of touch. I never met their parents, if they had any. I used to tell them stories, now and then. They liked that. I don’t think anyone spent enough time with them while they were growing up.”
“Cat?”
“He was the best. Imagine a cat who could disappear and leave his smile for everyone to see. So funny. Although he didn’t think it was funny. At least not at first. We became very good friends. I’m a cat person and he could tell. He did love to tease people and push them as far as he could.”
“It seems as everyone was starving for attention.”
“They were,” said Alice. “It’s different there. While they are always willing to help each other, and they do have remarkably strong friendships, as children, they all seem to have been neglected. Aren’t you going to ask about the caterpillar?”
“Next on the list.”
“It is absolutely the strangest thing to hear a caterpillar start talking to you,” she said, smiling. “I thought someone was playing a trick on me and hiding somewhere, throwing his voice. But no, the caterpillar had quite a lot to say, he’s also usually as high as a kite. I don’t think he liked me at all, at least not in the beginning. Wonderland is orderly and my appearance threw everything out of wack. He did have some good advice, while looking down his many legs at me. I think we were okay with each other by the time I left.”
“Tell me about the Kraken.”
“Poor thing,” she said, looking down.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand.”
Alice sighed and said, “He wasn’t anyone to be afraid of. All the fear directed at him made him so unhappy. He just wanted to be treated kindly, to live is own life, his own way. He had the same dreams as everyone else, but no one asked him how he felt, or what he needed. People are cruel. I guess it doesn’t matter where they are.”
“Again, why didn’t you stay there?”
Alice shrugged. “In the end, I just didn’t belong. I’m not sure I belong here either, but I know this place. Wonderland felt like living in a dream where everyone dressed up and everything was alive. It was exciting at first but most everything can lose it’s rosy glow, after awhile.”
“That’s true.”
“It wasn’t easy to leave. I made good friends in Wonderland. Friends who wanted me to stay.”
“I’m sure they knew they would miss you.”
“I think I can find Wonderland again,” she said, her eyes glistening, her smile bright. “I’m planning to go back for a visit.”
“Can you take me along?” he asked, excitedly.
“I don’t know,” she answered, honestly. “But I can try and find out.”
Her love of color and short skirt flair has earned her national and international recognition for decades.
Johnson studied at the Pratt Institute and then later graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Syracuse University, where she was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta women’s sorority.
The artist was introduced to the fashion world as the in-house designer for the youth culture punk boutique Paraphernalia in New York City in the mid 1960s.
Johnson followed that becoming a creative director of Alley Cat, a youthful sportswear brand, and by 1969, she opened her first boutique, Betsey Bunky Nini, on New York City’s Upper East Side.
She continued to have her own label with a variety of manufacturers, and by 1978, Johnson’s opened her own company, the eponymous Betsey Johnson brand.
Johnson’s trademark look has remained the same over her decades-long contributions to the fashion landscape: sexy silhouettes, hippie inspired flowing fabrics, whimsical detailing, and bohemian flares.
I am old enough now to comment on my generation vs the current generation.
creativity
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